| From the Wilmington Journal |
| May 5, 1864 |
| |
| Departure of the Lady Clerks From Richmond |
| The Enquirer, of Wednesday, says: |
| The Petersburg depot, at five
o'clock Tuesday morning, was the scene of a very interesting and
somewhat affecting affair the departure of the lady clerks of the Note
Signing Division of the Department for Columbia, S. C. Three of the
neatest and most commodious coaches had been prepared for their
reception, there being about ninety of them in all, and consequently
thirty to a coach. Several gentlemen connected with the Department were
especially assigned to the duty of accompanying and attending to their
wants on the route. All of the ladies had furnished themselves with
cooked provisions sufficient to last them during the trip, and had
otherwise provided for their personal comfort, which, added to the
attentions of the escort and officers of the train, will doubtless
render their passage agreeable throughout. Several hundreds of the
friends of the fair travelers were at the depot to bid them adieu and
the scene was well calculated to start tears to the eye; but, amidst all
the pain of parting from the presence and association of kind friends,
relatives, mothers, fathers and sisters, there was no display of that
exaggerated anguish common on such occasions. Regrets were stifled down,
and though here and there a tear stole down some pallid cheek, it was
lost in the light of a smile which struggled out beneath it. At last the
whistle blew and the train started and hundreds of handkerchiefs
fluttered in the air, wafting thousand of blessings and kisses to the
departing voyagers to the Sunny South. |
|